Mint Man

The horse broke through with his first win at Dundalk on 11 December 2024, and has since added two more victories. His most recent came at The Curragh two weeks ago, which suggests he is in decent current form. His last six races tell a mixed story: a 19-length defeat most recently, followed by a second-place finish, a third, then a gap in the records before an eighth-place and a fourth. That kind of pattern — bouncing between places and occasional good runs — is typical of a horse that is reliable enough to show up but not yet sharp enough to win regularly.

Luke McAteer rides him most often, though the partnership has yet to produce a winner in seven outings together. P J F Murphy trains him from Castlecomer in Kilkenny. The yard is modest but working — Murphy has sent out 4 winners so far this season. For a small Irish stable, Mint Man represents steady, incremental progress: not a star in the making, but a campaigner with occasional glimpses of ability.